The terrorist group, Ansaru, has banned political activities in some communities in the eastern part of Birnin-Gwari Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
The Chairman, Birnin-Gwari Emirate Progressives Union, (BEPU), Ishaq Kasai, confirmed this in an issued press statement at the weekend.
Ansaru, a splinter group of the dreaded Boko Haram terrorists, has been operating in Birnin-Gwari villages for years. The local government area has eleven political wards, but the western part consists of eight of the wards.
According to Kasai’s statement, there will be trouble if any political activity occurs in any of the eleven political wards in the local government area.
He said the terrorist group banned political activities in many communities in the eastern part, apparently to exercise control over political and economic activities, adding that the group regularly recruits young residents and marry young girls.
In May, the group reportedly began massive recruitment of residents in the LGA. They were also said to have distributed Sallah gifts, a five-page pamphlet titled; ‘We are not Boko Haram, but Ansaru’, as well as flash-drive disks and other items, in order to entice residents to join them.
The statement further read in part: “BEPU noted with dismay that the locals who have joined the group are afraid to live in the town because of the fear they could be arrested by the police or security agencies.
“The clarion call among the new recruits is for the establishment of an Islamic State.
“The Ansaru and the new recruits believe that their numerical strength will help them to bring the present democratic government down. Presently, they are going around distributing memory cards to the locals which contain their beliefs and doctrine.
“We are disturbed that despite the worrisome development, no meaningful response from authorities. Even recently, when our people were attacked and eight cars were burnt and scores of our people were kidnapped on Birnin-Gwari to Kaduna Road, nothing has been done by the Government. The government has never acknowledged the incident or sympathised with our community.
“Our communities are being attacked, people kidnapped and killed daily without a response, acknowledgment or report”.
